Building permits, zoning and land rules in Clare County, Michigan

Yes. Before constructing a building or structure in Clare County, the owner or the owner's representative must apply to the appropriate enforcing agency; a change in use or occupancy also requires a permit¹. Ordinary repairs are exempt only when they do not cross the stated structural, egress, utility, electrical, mechanical, public-health or safety limits¹. Separate soil-erosion, zoning, plumbing, mechanical or electrical applications may also be needed¹.

Clare County Community Development handles county building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspections, and administers the Michigan construction codes^1,5. All construction phases covered by a county building permit must be inspected and approved before work proceeds, and concealed uninspected work will not be approved⁷. A qualifying Michigan owner-builder has a residential-builder licensing exemption for a home built on the owner's property for the owner's own use and occupancy, but permits, inspections, codes, zoning and utility rules still apply⁶.

Start with Clare County Community Development at 225 W. Main St., Harrison, MI 48625, or call 989.539.2761⁸. The county publishes an application that may call for separate soil-erosion, zoning, plumbing, mechanical and electrical filings; completed building applications are emailed as directed on the form⁷. The permit holder schedules inspections with the permit number, holder name, site address, inspection type, jurisdiction and contact information, and most inspections are completed within three business days after the request⁷.

After completion, request a Certificate of Use and Occupancy with the building-permit information, applicable trade-approval dates and final septic approval⁹. The request carries a non-refundable $5 fee, and a noncompliant project may need a temporary certificate or face enforcement⁹. A new or altered building may not be occupied until the code official issues the certificate¹⁰.

Zoning in Clare County varies by township, city and village rather than following one uniform county rule, so zoning approval comes from the local authority, while building permits come from the county and septic and well permits from the health department^1,3,11. The county's township list identifies both zoned and unzoned townships, but each applicable township or municipal ordinance controls its own parcel rules². Where zoning applies, obtain the zoning permit before the building permit¹¹.

We could not confirm one countywide minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, lot-coverage limit or building-height rule. Ask the parcel's township, city or village zoning authority for the zoning map, permitted uses, dimensional schedule and required approval before designing the project¹¹. A parcel described as unzoned still remains subject to building, septic, well and other applicable requirements^1,3,4.

Central Michigan District Health Department permits on-site septic systems in Clare County³. For a new system, obtain the septic permit before the building permit, mark the vacant property for the site visit and preserve a replacement drainfield area; construction before permit issuance violates the sanitary code³. A sanitarian evaluates site suitability, and a final inspection is normally required³.

Soil-survey ratings put essentially none of Clare County's land in the not-severely-limited class for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered or mound system, and make the evaluation an early purchase contingency¹². In rare cases a contractor affidavit can replace the final Sanitarian inspection³. Existing septic and well systems require evaluation when a building permit is needed or when use changes from residential to non-residential³. A private-well permit is also required before the building permit for a new-build site⁴. New parcels smaller than one acre without public sewer or public water need local health-department approval before the municipality may issue a building permit¹³.

We could not confirm one countywide rule for long-term RV living, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on private land in Clare County. Because zoning varies by township and municipality, ask the parcel's local zoning authority whether the proposed use is allowed and what placement, duration and dwelling standards apply¹¹.

Michigan's state campground rules put recreational units on licensed, numbered campsites and do not by themselves allow long-term RV living on ordinary private land¹⁴. State guidance also says a tiny house must be built as a resort rather than a campground, and even on wheels cannot be treated as a recreational unit¹⁴. A tiny home still needs applicable local zoning, building, electrical and plumbing permits and final approvals, along with required well and septic permits¹⁴. A building with plumbing must connect to a public sewer where available or to an approved private sewage-disposal system¹⁵. State-approved modular housing is treated as a conventional home for permit purposes; a homeowner may obtain the permit when supervising construction, but must submit proof of state approval¹⁶.

1. Identify the parcel's township or municipality and obtain any required zoning approval before the building permit¹¹.
2. Obtain CMDHD septic and private-well permits before the building permit for a new-build site^3,4.
3. Ask the Clare County Road Commission whether the access needs a right-of-way permit; its transportation and right-of-way permits use the online system¹⁷.
4. Submit the building application and any separate soil-erosion, plumbing, mechanical or electrical applications⁷.
5. Have each required construction phase inspected and approved before continuing or concealing work⁷.
6. Submit the occupancy request with applicable trade approvals and final septic approval, then wait for the certificate before occupying the building^9,10.

Make septic feasibility an early contingency: mapped soils rate the surveyed land as severely limited for conventional drain fields, and CMDHD evaluates the site^3,12. Confirm well siting and whether public sewer or water is available; a new parcel smaller than one acre without either utility needs health-department approval before a building permit may issue¹³.

Check the local zoning authority for allowed use and dimensional rules because zoning varies across Clare County². Ask the Clare County Road Commission about access and its online right-of-way permit process¹⁷. For land in a qualifying river, stream or drain floodplain, Michigan requires a state permit when the drainage area is at least 2 square miles, and other approvals may still apply¹⁸. The median property-tax bill is about $1,387 per year, though an individual parcel's bill will differ¹².